Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo is a Korean martial art that primarily uses the hands and feet. Many people find that the Taekwondo helps strengthen both mind and body it is proven to help improve mental discipline, making it perfect for Uni students! The club provides students with knowledge of unarmed self-defence. At the moment, the Taekwondo Club is holding beginner friendly lessons on Wednesday's.
How many current members?
We have 22 members.
What events has the club been involved in over the past 12 months?
Some of our members have competed in the Australian Masters Games and if students are interested they have access to state and national taekwondo competitions. Our members are also very social with lunches and board games afternoons.
Outline some of your club or club member achievements?
The club was first formed in 1996. The instructors highest rank is 9th Dan ChungDoKwan, which was received in early 2019.
How has your club adapted during an unprecedented 2020 in terms of engaging with your members?
Since a return to campus, training classes have changed with Wednesday classes aimed towards beginners. For those with a taekwondo background it’s more a reconditioning class, giving everyone the opportunity to participate in a slightly slower class pace, which allows for focus on technique.
The Saturday class is our regular traditional class. However, COVID has meant a slight adjustment to the training style, with no physical contact. This just means that contact sparing and unarmed self-defence are currently not part of the syllabus, but there is plenty more to taekwondo that sparing 😊
What is it about your Wednesday class that makes it so suitable for beginners?
The Wednesday classes are focused on developing basic skills, muscle conditioning, balance and stamina needed for our traditional class and is specifically designed to give students the skills and techniques needed for their first grading. Classes are traditionally done in full uniform, however these classes are done in casual gym clothes and are run by a 3 Dan female instructor. There is no pressure or expectation on students to get it right the first time, the philosophy is just to keep practicing.
While the class may focus on basic skills, students from the regular class also find it valuable to help improve their areas of weakness. A number have used the class for injury management/recovery, post-COVID reconditioning or refining their techniques.
What is your favourite part of being a UniSA Sport club member?
Being a member of this club gave us an escape from our studies. Taking the time to participate in class allows me to focus on my body and clear my mind, that complex theory I had to get my head around can wait. I normally find that when I returned back to my study (either after class or the next day) I am more focused and less distracted.
How can people join your club?
You can join via the Taekwondo Club's website and stay up to date via their Facebook page.